"Giver, The" Soundtrack Lyrics

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"The Giver (Music Collection) / The Giver (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)" Soundtrack Description

Overview

How do you score a society that removed pain—and color? The film splits the job in two: a songs compilation (The Giver: Music Collection) for public-facing moments and marketing hooks, and a score album (The Giver: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) where composer Marco Beltrami builds emotion from near-silence to choral lift. The albums arrived a week apart in August 2014, framing the theatrical release window.

The songs set (Interscope) is led by OneRepublic’s original single “Ordinary Human,” with additional cuts from Capital Cities (“One Minute More”), Tori Kelly (“Silent”), NEEDTOBREATHE, Bruno Major and others. The score set (Sony Music) collects twenty cues by Beltrami, including “Main Titles,” “Color,” “First Memory,” “The Kiss,” and “Escape From the Nursery.” Trade/label notes and retailer pages corroborate the two-album rollout and track rosters. Trusted references: Wikipedia’s soundtrack overview, Apple Music and Spotify album pages, Discogs release data, and IMDb’s on-screen song credits.

Genres & Themes

• Minimalist orchestral + choir (Beltrami) — tremolo strings and breathy choir map Jonas’s first encounters with feeling; color appears in harmony first, picture second.
• Contemporary pop (OneRepublic, Tori Kelly, Capital Cities) — anthemic hooks = public ritual, marketing beats, and credits lift; “Ordinary Human” voices the system’s denial of difference.
• Traditional carols (“Silent Night”; “The Holly and the Ivy”) — diegetic communal order; hymns as sonic sameness.
• Indie/alt-pop (Bruno Major, NEEDTOBREATHE) — warmer textures for fleeting intimacy outside official ceremonies.

Tracks & Scenes

"Ordinary Human" — OneRepublic
Where it plays: featured in the film and used prominently across trailers/featurettes; end-credits/late-film usage in many territories (non-diegetic).
Why it matters: the campaign’s thesis song—individual feeling versus enforced uniformity; Ryan Tedder wrote it specifically for the movie.

"Silent" — Tori Kelly
Where it plays: featured in-film as a reflective needle-drop around Jonas/Fiona beats; appears on the songs album (non-diegetic).
Why it matters: an intimate counterpoint to institutional calm—private voice cutting through public quiet.

"One Minute More" — Capital Cities
Where it plays: licensed for the film/album; cut appears in transitional montage/credits usage (non-diegetic).
Why it matters: bright synth-pop about holding on—apt for Jonas’s hesitation before the leap.

"Silent Night" — The von Trapp Children
Where it plays: a community ceremony (diegetic performance).
Why it matters: carol-as-order; tradition underscores how ritual replaces real feeling.

"The Holly and the Ivy" — Traditional, arr. H. Walford Davies
Where it plays: seasonal/ritual ambience (diegetic/background).
Why it matters: reinforces the polished sameness of communal life.

"Main Titles" — Marco Beltrami (score)
Where it plays: prologue and world setup (non-diegetic).
Why it matters: establishes the monochrome grammar—tight strings, held breath, little percussion.

"Color" — Marco Beltrami (score)
Where it plays: Jonas’s first true contact with color via memory (non-diegetic).
Why it matters: harmony blooms before saturation—music shows color arriving.

"First Memory" — Marco Beltrami (score)
Where it plays: the Giver’s earliest transfer (non-diegetic).
Why it matters: small choir + strings to literalize awe without melodrama.

"The Kiss" — Marco Beltrami (score)
Where it plays: tender breakthrough between Jonas and Fiona (non-diegetic).
Why it matters: the cleanest emotional cadence in the score—brief warmth with cost afterward.

"Escape From the Nursery" — Marco Beltrami (score)
Where it plays: flight sequence with Gabriel (non-diegetic).
Why it matters: momentum cue—rhythmic strings move from procedure to urgency.

Trailer music note: promotional spots spotlight “Ordinary Human” overlays and score fragments; the theatrical trailers circulated widely in mid-2014.

Music–Story Links

• Diegetic ritual vs. private revelation: carols are sung at people; Beltrami’s cues arrive with Jonas as he feels for the first time.
• Harmony-as-color: the choir’s entrance parallels the first appearance of literal color—sound brightens before picture does.
• Anthem at the threshold: “Ordinary Human” reframes the ending as a human-scale act, not a revolution shot.

How It Was Made

Composer: Marco Beltrami. He wrote ~86 minutes of music for his first collaboration with director Phillip Noyce, working remotely during parts of post. The score blends small ensemble, choir, and restrained electronics. Music Collection: Interscope assembled a ten-track set led by OneRepublic’s new single and Tori Kelly’s “Silent,” released a week before the score album to drive awareness.

Reception & Quotes

Specialist outlets praised the craft of the score and the clarity of its dramatic arc; trades highlighted the OneRepublic tie-in around the premiere.

“A very impressive piece of work… exquisitely mixed, a sensitive balance of orchestra and choir.” Movie Wave (score review)

“New footage premieres OneRepublic’s ‘Ordinary Human’.” The Hollywood Reporter

Album/edition details and credits are consistent across label and retailer listings.

Questions & Answers

How many albums are there?

Two: a songs compilation (Music Collection, Interscope) and Beltrami’s score album (Sony Music).

Was “Ordinary Human” written for the movie?

Yes—Ryan Tedder/OneRepublic wrote and released it as the film’s lead single.

Does Tori Kelly’s “Silent” appear in the film?

Yes—featured in the movie and included on the songs album.

Who composed the score, and what’s its tone?

Marco Beltrami; minimalist orchestral writing that gradually allows choir and warmth as Jonas awakens.

Are there diegetic songs?

Yes—carols like “Silent Night” and “The Holly and the Ivy” appear in community settings as on-screen music.

Where can I verify the releases?

Apple Music/Spotify (both albums), Discogs (catalog data), Wikipedia (soundtrack page), IMDb (on-screen songs).

Notes & Trivia

• Score album streeted Aug 12, 2014; the songs set arrived Aug 5, 2014.
• Capital Cities’ “One Minute More” appears in both Iron Man 3 (2013) and The Giver (2014).
• Beltrami’s “Color” cue is often cited by fans as the film’s emotional hinge—music signals color before picture fully does.
• At the NYC premiere, OneRepublic performed “Ordinary Human.”

Additional Info

• Album availability: both albums are streamable; physical editions documented on retailer/catalog sites.
• Licensing pattern: modern pop for promotion/credits, traditional hymns for on-screen order, score for memory transfers and escapes.
• Credits: music supervision received HMMA nominations; Beltrami’s score drew strong specialist reviews.
• Scene indexing: on-screen songs confirmed by IMDb; album rosters confirmed by Apple/Spotify/Discogs.

Technical Info

• Title: The Giver — Music Collection (songs) / Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (score)
• Year: 2014 (film & albums)
• Type: Various-artists compilation + Original score
• Composer: Marco Beltrami (score)
• Labels: Interscope (songs); Sony Music (score)
• Selected notable placements: “Ordinary Human” (OneRepublic); “Silent” (Tori Kelly); “One Minute More” (Capital Cities); “Silent Night” (The von Trapp Children); score cues “Color,” “First Memory,” “The Kiss,” “Escape From the Nursery.”

Canonical Entities & Relations

Subject	Relation	Object
Phillip Noyce	directed	The Giver (2014)
Marco Beltrami	composed	The Giver (original score)
Interscope Records	released	The Giver: Music Collection (2014)
Sony Music	released	The Giver: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (2014)
OneRepublic	performed	“Ordinary Human” (single; used in-film and marketing)
Tori Kelly	performed	“Silent” (featured song)
Capital Cities	performed	“One Minute More” (licensed track)
The von Trapp Children	performed	“Silent Night” (diegetic performance)

Sources: Wikipedia (soundtrack & film pages); Apple Music (albums); Spotify (score album); Discogs (track data); IMDb Soundtracks; The Hollywood Reporter (Ordinary Human premiere clip); Vanity Fair (NYC premiere performance note).

This film is like another dozen of the same in essence movies where the protagonist(s) live(s) in a perfect world of the future and suddenly discover that everything around is false and artificial. And he and/or she begins to change everything that can. As a minimum, Maze Runner, Equilibrium, Insurgent and its first part, Divergent, Hunger Games – they are small extraction from the big list of the motion pictures that have come out over the past few years. If you dig further into the story, for 30 years, as an example, then films like these will be more than fifty. The mere listing of them would take several pages. The most striking was and remains The Matrix. It is, in turn, was inspired by The Thirteenth Floor. Technologies for screening that time were not so good, but the philosophical context was impressive. So, returning to the film itself. It is a pretty good science fiction, which focuses on the category of very young audience – teenagers from 8 to maximum 20 y. o. Even the main characters are very rejuvenated in it, comparing to similar films. The further we move through the timeline, the younger the main characters become in these motion pictures. This is a trend. OneRepublic did several compositions. Very good voice and great lyrics. Aloe Blacc seen in other soundtracks and it says that the artist is gaining popularity. Difference Maker is a very sweet song that refreshes. Silent sung by remarkable and strong voice of American from which emanates with professionalism. Shine My Way is just beautiful.

November, 09th 2025

Find more about 'The Giver' on Wikipedia and IMDb

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